This invention pertains to current limiting fuses and methods of making same, and more particularly to current limiting fuse elements of the type primarily used in sand or in other arc quenching particulate matter.
Current limiting fuses, heretofore, have employed a fusible element in the form of an elongated ribbon wrapped in spiral fashion within the fuse body in an effort to obtain an appropriate length of ribbon element necessary to produce an elongate arc path. Note FIG. 4 as an example.
In order to obtain the proper length of fuse element wound within the fuse body it has also been disposed in a zig zag pattern back and forth across the interior of the body or disposed to spiral around within the body. When a plurality of ribbon elements are spirally wound in parallel within the casing to obtain high current rating, the current paths are not separated sufficiently to prevent merging of the arcs, and consequently fuse performance is often degraded because of the resultant high current density with low arc voltage.